Dear Premier and Members of the Legislative Assembly,

We write with urgent concern. As former leaders in Alberta’s disability programs or members of the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, we know these systems well. The proposed Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) would cut monthly support by $200 and undo decades of progress in supporting Albertans with disabilities.

ADAP proposes cutting monthly income support for tens of thousands from $1,940 to $1,740. This 10 per cent cut comes as living costs as represented by living wages rose 7 to 19 per cent last year in 15 municipalities where over 68% of Albertans. This does not even count the extra expenses people with disabilities incur—about 20 per cent more than the average household. In Calgary, this cut would put individuals on ADAP below the “Deep Poverty” line. Forcing people with severe disabilities to make impossible choices like medication versus rent is fundamentally immoral. Reductions in income support can also cause increased public spending in more costly health and homelessness interventions.

All 79,000 people on AISH will be moved to ADAP. Some may return to a redesigned AISH if they provide an assessment showing they have no ability to work. Forcing people to reprove their disability through another adjudication process will add needless complexity and stress. Fairness is further eroded because final eligibility decisions will no longer be appealable to the Citizen’s Appeal Panel.

Repeat assessments for thousands of individuals will be a costly draw on the medical system. Setting up ADAP alongside AISH also costs the government for both start-up and additional ongoing administration. If ADAP burdens systems and people, what objectives does it actually serve? The government has framed ADAP as a way to reward and support employment. Yet, ADAP’s earned income exemption amount tells a different story. Individuals on ADAP, because they have a severe disability and are assessed as having some ability to work, will only be permitted to earn $350/month before their benefits are clawed back, down from the $1,072/month threshold under AISH now. Analysis shows that under ADAP or the redesigned AISH, many, if not most, individuals will earn less overall than they do today—even if they work the same hours. The assumption that tens of thousands of Albertans with disabilities will secure sufficient employment to offset this cut is unrealistic, especially given the high unemployment rate among adults with disabilities.

ADAP fails to reflect the complexity of disability, relying on a binary classification of adults with disabilities as either “employable” or “unemployable.” Such labeling risks

• Restricting opportunities for employment, and therefore reinforcing isolation, for individuals labelled unemployable.
• Deepening financial insecurity for those whose ability to work fluctuates or is limited by systemic barriers.

Meaningful consultation did not occur before ADAP was announced. Organizations the government claims to have consulted say they were only shown a preview of the program. They were not invited to shape its design or rationale. That is not consultation—it is a formality that silences those most affected.

We stand with the Albertans with disabilities, organizations and healthcare professionals who are urging the Government of Alberta to

1. Cancel the implementation of ADAP and commit to maintaining AISH’s current eligibility and benefits.
2. Consult with individuals with disabilities to understand the employment barriers they face and how employment supports and benefit programs can be enhanced, and only then introduce enhancements to services and benefit programs.

Alberta has the resources and the moral obligation to do better. Cancel ADAP. Preserve AISH. Anything less fails the Alberta we believe in—one that supports people to live with dignity, thrive and contribute to their communities.

Sincerely,

Chloe Atkins, PhD, former Premier’s Council member, Associate Professor at University of Calgary

Eric Boyd, founding Executive Director of Premier's Council on Status of Persons with Disabilities, former Executive Director of Canadian Paraplegic Association, founding CEO of Rick Hansen Institute

Hart Chapelle, former CEO of Edmonton Region Community Board for PDD

Tara Chisholm, former Premier’s Council member

Tony Flores, Alberta’s first Advocate for Persons with Disabilities

Mike Hambly, former Premier’s Council member

Austin Mardon, PhD, CM, FRSC, former Premier’s Council member, Assistant Adjunct Professor at University of Alberta

Margaret McCabe Conquest, M.Sc., former Premier’s Council member

Norm McLeod, former CEO of PDD Provincial Board

Janalee Morris, former Premier’s Council member

Ann Nicol, former Premier’s Council member, former CEO of Alberta Council of Disability Services, former Co-chair of provincial PDD Review, former member of Citizens Appeal Panel and PDD Safety Standards Consultation Team

Neil Pierce, former Chair of the Premier’s Council, leader in neurological health charities for 30 years

Alison Plain-Cutknife, former Premier’s Council member

Diane Ridley, BA, LLP, former Premier’s Council member

Inara Samoylove, former Premier’s Council member

Lori Shortreed, former Premier’s Council member

Cam Tait, former Premier’s Council member, journalist

Dr. John te Linde, psychologist, former member of Premier’s Council and Citizen’s Appeal Panel, former chair of the PDD Safety Standards Consultation Team

Pamela Wagner, MEd, RSW, former Premier’s Council member

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